Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Interview with Filmmaker and Adult Movie Icon, Evan Stone


If you’ve ever seen a porno, and there’s a good chance you have, there’s even a better chance that you’ve seen Evan Stone. He’s ubiquitous as Ron Jeremy and much like Ron, he’s doing quite a bit of mainstream cinema as well. In fact, I interviewed Sean Donohue recently who produced “Franklin: A Symphony of Pain” and directed “Death-Scort Service”, two films featuring Evan Stone, so I jumped at the opportunity to interview Evan as well.

Now I work for a nice, respectable horror, cult, exploitation and sleaze site, so I figured I’d just coyly allude to Evan’s adult work and focus on his exceptional acting abilities and musical talents. Evan’s an old pro at the interview game though, and in Evan’s words “No one wants to hear about that shit.” So it didn’t take long for Evan to take control, just like walking in and commanding a set. And like every other woman Evan comes in contact with, I thought it was a lot of fun, so I just let go and went with it.

Body Count Rising: You’ve been nominated for 60 awards and have won 21 including Hall of Fame. That’s one hell of a career. I read that you were first discovered when you were 16. Has acting always been your passion?


Evan Stone: This is true! Well actually, it never really occurred to me until in high school when we were working on the “Diary of Anne Frank” as a project and we had a student teacher come in from the local university because our teacher was out sick. No one wanted to read for Anne Frank in the play, so I did. The student teacher said “Wow, you’re quite the little actor. Have you ever thought about performing?” She told me I should act in plays at the university because I was THAT good. And I was like “OK…

I went home and thought about it, and later ended up auditioning for “Man of La Mancha”. I nailed it. I played Sancho and my mom drove me out to the university in the evenings after school. Then we did “Jesus Christ Superstar” and I was like “Wow… these are the coolest people I’ve ever met in my life!” No one ever said “Hey, what’s this stupid kid doing here?” They just treated me as equal. I was hoping to meet some of them again someday, and when I got on the porn channels, sure enough I did.

Body Count Rising: Oh that’s so cool!

Evan Stone: Yeah!


Body Count Rising: You were kind of a jock in high school weren’t you?

Evan Stone: Oh yeah, I played a lot of sports. There was football and track. Then I would play baseball the opposite of football season.

Body Count Rising: Your buddies didn’t give you any problems for being in plays did they?

Evan Stone:
Well it’s not like I told everyone about it. I wasn’t showing off to anybody.

Body Count Rising: You said you always wanted to join the military. How do you think your life would be different if you had?

Evan Stone: Oh I’m sure I’d be a dead hero by now.

Body Count Rising: Well, I’m glad you’re doing what you’re doing and that you’re alive.

Evan Stone: Me too! (laughing) The living part is fun and the sex is a win-win!


Body Count Rising: You’ve directed and assistant directed up until 2011. Can we expect to see future films from you, or have you decided you no longer want to direct?

Evan Stone: I’m good at managing people, but it’s not where my passion is. It is so much fun, but I get really anal with the film and I want to do a lot of technical shots. There are also a lot of time restraints, so I have to be practical. I actually directed another film a few years back, but it’s been tied up in court with legal issues. It should be released sometime this year… hopefully. It’s a lot of work, but I did it because there was a vision I wanted to see.

Body Count Rising: Are you tougher on the male actors because you know what it’s like?

Evan Stone: Oh fuck yes! The girls love me, but the guys hate me when I direct. I push them hard because I know their limits.

Body Count Rising: Are you in Los Angeles right now?

Evan Stone: Yeah. I’m a musician here in L.A. I’ve got nine recording studios. My music is my true passion, but I don’t have a lot of time to play. I’m in a band called ‘Gang Bang’ because we’re a bunch of porno guys. We’ve played The Key Club, The Roxy and just about everything in town. We’ve played Vegas. We do some cover tunes and when the porn chicks come out we just bring down the house. 


Body Count Rising: I read that you can play multiple instruments too…

Evan Stone: I play my own very well. (laughing) I’m actually standing in the music room right now. I play French horn, trumpet, baritone tuba... So I read both bass and treble clef and write music as well. I never played any woodwinds. I never felt comfortable with a reed in my mouth.

Body Count Rising: You actually wrote music for one of your movies…

Evan Stone:
I did!

Note: Evan did the soundtrack for the film “Brown Eyed Blondes”.

Body Count Rising: Would you consider doing that again?

Evan Stone: It was just once, and it really took a long time. When they edited the film, I changed the music to match the edit. It’s a lot of work, and it can be something that you’re never fully satisfied with. You just want to keep messing with the piece until they’re like “Listen, we’ve go to have it.” And then you’re like “No… no… noooo!” (laughing) With any other job, once you’re done; you’re done. This can be very all-consuming.

Body Count Rising: Since you have nine studios, do you produce other acts?

Evan Stone: No. Most of the studios are for specific types of recording. There’s a big control room, which has keyboards, a seating area and a mix board, and then the rest mostly are vocals rooms. One of them doubles as a movie effects company and it has monster masks hanging and all that stuff. And one of them hosts a biker club that meets there twice a week. 


Body Count Rising:
So you utilize each of the rooms dependent on the instrument being played?

Evan Stone: Oh yeah! Each room is acoustically different, and dramatically so. I take advantage of the sounds that each of the rooms offers. The rooms have insulated double-walls with sand in the middle so sound is not getting in or out.

Body Count Rising:
It seems like the instruments you mentioned would lend themselves to classical music, blues or jazz. What type of music do you usually listen to?

Evan Stone: I really like to listen to everything, but not so much hip-hop because I hear it all the time. And being from Texas I really get burned-out on country. Driving in the car I’ll listen to classical music and sometimes classic rock.

Body Count Rising: Do you listen to punk rock?

Evan Stone: Well yeah!

Note: We chatted about Black Flag with and without Rollins for a bit.

Body Count Rising: Your musicianship is a fascinating part of your life and there really isn’t a lot of information floating around out there about that. Everything is about your acting and specifically about your adult film roles.

Evan Stone: Of course. No one wants to hear that shit! (laughing)


Body Count Rising: Well it just shows how very multi-dimensional and talented you are. I mean most people can get good at one instrument… maybe. The fact that you’re proficient on multiple instruments is impressive. And speaking of impressive, you worked on 35 films in 2015. That’s almost three films per month, and you had said sometimes you worked on two per week before. You are credited on IMDb for working on 1,214 films, but I think that’s actually low…

Evan Stone: That’s REALLY low. But keep in mind a scene doesn’t always equate to a whole movie. It could also be for a website or private use too.

Body Count Rising: So are you the hardest working man in show business, or just the hardest? (laughing)

Evan Stone: It’s good to be hard, but it’s hard to be good. (laughing)

Body Count Rising: Seriously though… how do you keep the discipline and endurance to handle that kind of workload? 


Evan Stone: Training I think. Twelve years before I did porn, I was a male stripper. We’d go to the bars and catch the girls’ shows then later that night they’d all come to our show. And after that we’d all hit the hotels and we’d hook up and it was never really a big deal. Now porn isn’t much different, except now you’re on film and you have to worry about angles and how you appear to the camera. Having sex in front of other people was never a big deal. So it came to me instinctively and I didn’t have to be trained for porn. It was kind of a done deal. Now the stamina part; the problem is holding out, because these girls are beautiful. Man, and when you have sex, these girls really fuck you back. Nothing comes close. So the key is to make the position so uncomfortable or painful for myself that I can’t climax. Or I can look out the window, or something like that.

Body Count Rising:
Right, so as far as the discipline part of it, do you have your own time management system or a personal assistant to help you keep track of everything you’re doing? I mean you have a lot going on. 

Evan Stone: I’ve got a manager now and I’m on a comedy tour with Ron Jeremy. As far as scheduling, I like to keep track myself. But at this point it’s gotten so big that I actually need people to help me out. I trained as a farmer to get up when the sun comes up, and I get tired when the sun goes down. Now it’s just I have to find time when I need the extra time. So now I’m pretty much a 24-hour guy. It doesn’t matter what time it is.


Body Count Rising: I know you don’t like to take yourself too seriously. Are you a natural to comedy, or is that something you needed to practice?

Evan Stone: Ahhhh… I’ve always had a smart attitude towards life. It’s always been that way. I guess I can blame my parents for that. The only thing that makes me different from other comedians is that I tell stories from the porn set, and the show is two hours, and I have a bunch of stories to tell. Like how you have to wake up early before you go into work to shave your balls.

Note: And now a discussion on ball stubble…


Body Count Rising: Well, you don’t want to go in pokey. No one likes that.

Evan Stone: Oh yeah can you imagine the girl with a rash on her face from the stubble? It’s just not professional.

Body Count Rising:
Like the joke about the shoestring when you’re doing a DP.

Evan Stone: You’ve got to hold it in your mouth! (laughing)

Note: You don’t want to know…unless you do want to know… then here you go


Body Count Rising: One of my favorite films is the original “Cape Fear” with Robert Mitchum. You’ve done a number of parodies of horror films, like “Cape Fear XXX” as well as non-porno horror films like “Franklin: A Symphony of Pain” and “Death-Scort Service”. Which type of film do you prefer to act in, adult or not?

Evan Stone: Mainstream is great, but you don’t get laid, so let’s just throw that out there first… unless you sleep with the producer to get the job.

Body Count Rising: Oh I don’t think Sean would like that, or you either for that matter! (laughing)

Evan Stone: (laughing) NO. (more laughing) Uh… porn has less people on set and everyone has, like five jobs, but it tends to take less time to do it our way. Now sure we make some compromises as far as shots along the way, but mainstream seems like it really moves slower. Also with mainstream I always have to be extra conscious about what I say and do and make sure it’s appropriate while on set. I always have to make an effort to be aware of that, so it takes a bit more energy for me to do mainstream than it does for porn. 


As far as the acting level, when I’m doing mainstream I’ll want to watch all of the shots because I want to come in with the same acting level as the rest of the cast. If you come off at the wrong level it just doesn’t work. I’ll either need to adjust and act down or give it my all. Now with porn, there’s really not a lot of extras to worry about.

Body Count Rising: In your bondage scenes you do stay in character and really play the part. There are so many guys that go through the motions while grinning, and that’s so annoying.

Evan Stone: (laughing) I just put a pebble in my sock to piss me off. 

Body Count Rising: Well then it’s effective because you’re very convincing.

Evan Stone: I have to believe it. The key is to believing it all through the set. In the context of sex you still need to be able to perform as that character and have great sex as well. A lot of people will start to have sex and then forget about the character they are portraying. They need to have sex the way that character would have sex. Does that make sense?

Body Count Rising: Absolutely.


Evan Stone: First you’re having sex on camera, so you have to pay attention to the angles and then you need to remember you’re a character, and be effective in that respect. This is funny. Once on a mainstream set I had to do a sex scene and another actor (bragging about the work he did on some commercials) didn’t know who I was and tried to coach me on how I should do the scene. I ignored him and did it my own way. He later abruptly pulled me aside and said “How many movies have you done?” so I said (laughing) “Like 2,000.” And he said “Oh.

Body Count Rising: Too funny! (laughing) By the way, you had said you really need to watch yourself on mainstream shoots. Do you ever get out in public and completely forget where you are and just horrify people?

Evan Stone: Oh my God it’s the worst! (laughing) Especially when porn people get together.

Body Count Rising: Yeah?

Evan Stone: Like we were at this Jewish deli and there was a whole bunch of us. We were having fun and progressively getting louder and louder and this old lady came up to us and said “I’d appreciate it if you would stop swearing!” and we looked around and there were families sitting there, and this lady was like 80 years old and we were just like “Ooh! Sorry!” because we were all talking shop too. You’re just kind of desensitized until someone calls attention to it. 


Body Count Rising: Do you have any good horror stories from being on set?

Evan Stone: Oh yes. It was the most beautiful thing ever. Me and Tera Patrick were on the black sands of Bora Bora and it was the twilight hour. The golden sun was setting and we had to finish the set before it went down, so there wasn’t much time within that window. She had a long, flowing silk scarf across her body and she rolled on the sand as the salty water splashed about her. She stood and we kissed until we both layed in the sand and I entered her to have sex. Now it’s a funny thing that water makes everything slippery except when it comes to sex, and even worse, this was salt water plus add sand to that mix.

Body Count Rising: Ugh!

Evan Stone: The whole thing was just so painful for both of us! We were so torn up. We were there for a week in Bora Bora, but for two of those days I couldn’t work and for three of those days she couldn’t work. We were RAW! But it was so beautiful with the two of us rolling in the sand, the sun, the sea water and the foam. Now that was acting. You could not tell we were in pain.

Body Count Rising: Wow... just wow. Speaking of horror stories, you’re up to something. I see you posting a bunch of pictures of you dressed up as a Nazi on a horse, and I don’t think it’s for fun. I think it’s for a movie. What film are you working on?

Evan Stone: Oh those pictures I just posted like a couple days ago?

Body Count Rising: Yeah! 


Evan Stone: So I’m on a horse on a bridge with dogs all around. I got that part because of my horsemanship skills. We were out there shooting that scene for two days. I raised horses all my life, and growing up we always had between 14-20 horses that I took care of. I went off to college and then got a job at Medieval Times. I thought I knew everything there was to know about horses until I got to Medieval Times. And then I realized I didn’t know crap.

Body Count Rising: Really?

Evan Stone:
They re-taught me everything. We had American Quarter Horses. These were Andalusians, which is a totally different animal. So I’m an equestrian, right? Basically they needed someone for this project who was really good with horses.

Note: I prodded for details, but this is where Evan got amnesia about the film. I told you he was a pro. Other than horsemanship, he wouldn’t let anything solid slip about this mystery project other than to tell me it’s not a porno and that Nazi porn isn’t terribly popular with the porn community because they’re mostly Jewish. Come to think of it, I’m Jewish! Where do I sign up?

Body Count Rising: So you’re Jewish and they dressed you up as a Nazi?

Evan Stone: Yeah! That’s the greatest! (laughing)

Body Count Rising: Yes it is! (laughing) Are you shooting in L.A?

Evan Stone: It was a park in Thousand Oaks. 


Body Count Rising: Do you ever find mainstream filmmakers are dismissive of actors because they’ve done adult films?

Evan Stone: If you have a resume that is all porn, a lot of mainstream guys won’t even look at it. The only reason I got this part was because of my skills with the horses. Before I even got started they told me they didn’t want to use my stage name and I would need to use my real name. Eventually they decided I could use my stage name after all.

Body Count Rising: So originally they were going to put the credits as Thomas Ryan?

Evan Stone: Yeah.

Body Count Rising: It seems like it would behoove them to use your stage name because that would be more of a draw. I mean you do have your fan base.

Evan Stone: Well then everyone would assume it’s a porn.


Body Count Rising: I think you’ve been in enough mainstream stuff that wouldn’t be an issue. Although maybe they would sell more that way! (laughing)

Evan Stone: (laughing) Well that’s how I got hooked up with Fred Olen Ray. I was doing some Showtime and Skinemax movies for him. My band was playing one day and he walked in there to check out shooting locations. I was talking to him and found out he was a musician too. I said “Why don’t you do a softcore musical?” He said he would like to but no one would show up for rehearsal. I told him “If you make this movie I will personally guarantee these people will show up for rehearsals, voiceovers and anything else.” A lot of the people on set were porno people. The premise was that the house was haunted then it switched to softcore after that. Fred liked me so much he put me in most of his films up until he retired. Of course his son took over after that.

Note: Does the name ‘Fred Olen Ray’ sound familiar? It should. He’s the mastermind behind “Scalps” which, by the way, looks just amazing on Blu-ray.

Body Count Rising: So softcore means you’re just humping the mattress, right?

Evan Stone: Softcore in those days means REAL softcore. You probably could have sex and no one would have known, but you have these mainstream camera guys. He actually had one camera guy quit because he saw an erection.

Body Count Rising: He probably never saw one of those before. (laughing)

Evan Stone: Yeah. I hear they’re ugly and scary! (laughing)


Body Count Rising: You know what though; maybe he was questioning his sexuality. I mean he’s got more stuff going on than just being offended if he had to leave.

Evan Stone: That’s what I thought, but then they changed the policy and the girls had to wear huge Ace bandages over their vaginas. And the guys had to put all their junk in a nylon sock and tie it off with a hair tie.

Body Count Rising: You could rob a bank with that. (laughing hysterically)

Evan Stone: Crossing the line there. Crossing the line. (laughing)

Body Count Rising: Oh man I just got the visual in my mind. (laughing so hard I don’t even know what else Evan’s saying at this point)

Evan Stone: (laughing) Yeah the director got the visual too, but he was OK with it.

Body Count Rising: You’ve also choreographed fight scenes and have done your own stunts…

Evan Stone: I don’t plan on doing my own stunts anymore. A lot of times in stunt work you’re a body. You’re not setting up your own stunt scenes. It’s fun if you can get that close-up of you being the stunt guy. Otherwise you want to just let the stunt guys do their job.

Now choreographing fight scenes is fun because it’s much like when I would choreograph our dance troupe routines, or the fights at Medieval Times were all choreographed. Choreography was always an easy thing for me. At Medieval Times you get together with the person you will be acting with and the two of you pretty much come up with your own fight. Other than that it’s all taken care of at the corporate level.


Body Count Rising: When you’re acting, how often are you allowed to improvise, or do you need to really stick to the scripts?

Evan Stone: They don’t even send me a script anymore. I’m just coached on the expectations of what they want from me. I will act toward what the situation calls for.

Body Count Rising: OK, so like I said you’ve done a number of parodies. You’ve been Batman, The Riddler, The Mad Hatter, Captain Kirk, The Punisher, Sabertooth, Phil from Duck Dynasty, Dr. Johnny Fever from WKRP, Hulk Hogan and Gomez Addams among many others. What has been your favorite parody role?

Evan Stone: Kirk! Kirk! Captain Kirk!

Body Count Rising: Why?

Evan Stone: As a kid I had to go to bed when the sun went down. I’d go upstairs and I had this little 12” black and white TV with rabbit ears. I’d get in bed and dial in Star Trek. That was my thing. I mean Star Trek- WOW! To play that role was phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal! At first I turned down the role because I have such respect for the TV show. I didn’t want to do something where Spock was called ‘Cock’ and so on. When I told that to the director, he said “Really?” and pulled out the story board. It had a visual style similar to the TV series and actually had a plot that was engaging so I said “I’m in!” 

 
Body Count Rising: Did you ever meet William Shatner?

Evan Stone: No. I don’t think he knows I exist.

Body Count Rising: Oh, I think he knows who you are. 

Evan Stone: I met “The Fly”, Jeff Goldblum before when I was out one night. Now HE knew who I was. I said “I’m a big fan” and at the same time he said “I’m your biggest fan!” He’s quite the jazz musician. He ended up playing the piano for us.

Body Count Rising: Did you guys play together?

Evan Stone: Nah, it wasn’t that type of atmosphere.

Body Count Rising: How have you not made a Medieval Times parody yet?

Evan Stone: (laughing) That’s a really good question!

Body Count Rising: It really lends itself to that format with all those wenches.

Evan Stone: Why yes it does! (laughing)


Body Count Rising: You just wrapped a film called “Republican Candidate Wife Swap” where you play Donald Trump…

Evan Stone: Now that guy; I guarantee he knows that I exist. We’ve done two Trump parodies already and we’ll probably do four by the time everything goes down. I’m so happy to be alive in this part of history when all this stuff is happening.

Body Count Rising: Well if Sanders wins we have a first Jewish president and if Clinton wins we have a first woman president.

Evan Stone: Who ever loses should just be the running partner for the other one.

Body Count Rising: That makes sense! Hey, in 2014 you starred in the adult film “Fresh & Easy”. A year later the chain of stores close. (laughing) Coincidence?

Evan Stone: We told them to stock more douches but they refused, and it was neither fresh nor easy. (laughing)

Body Count Rising: Well there you have it! (laughing)

Evan Stone: There you go! (laughing)


Body Count Rising: You’re also going to be working on a project with Ron Jeremy called “Killing Ron Jeremy” that is in pre-production. What can you tell me about this project?

Evan Stone: This thing has just gotten bigger and bigger, but it started as a joke. I said I’ll always be #2 unless I killed off Ron Jeremy while I was sitting in production. He said “We really should make a movie about that!” We had some crowd funding then there was a private investor group of surgeons that loved the idea.

The premise is the government controls the industry and this will be the last porno movie so we’ve got to make it a great one. Meanwhile Ron is off winning a Nobel Peace Prize and then he takes off with my wife. So my plan is that I will kill him in this last porno and it will look like an on-set accident. That way I can be the most famous one. So it’s a comedy and I spend the whole film trying to kill him. I get all the way to the end… and there’s a CLIMAX! (laughing)

Body Count Rising: Do you kill him with a big sword and then usurp all of his powers?

Evan Stone: I steal his penis then I am king!

Body Count Rising: That’s not the first time you’ve worked with Ron. Do you look at him as a co-worker, mentor or friend?

Evan Stone: He’s a good friend. He’s the king of porn. I’ve been with him all around the world and really famous people will drop everything and run to get pictures with him. He’s an icon. He’s the coolest guy and he’s a total dick, and he really doesn’t care. He’s just trying to get laid. That’s his thing. He just wants to get laid. 


Body Count Rising: Well, that is a major sell point for men since women do get paid more…

Evan Stone: That’s a fair thing. If the guy has to be there at 10:00 AM, the girl is there at 7:00 AM. From 7:00-8:00 she’s in hair and makeup. 8:30-9:30 she’s doing still photography. 9:30-10:30 she’s doing masturbation scenes. By 11:00 she will work with the guy for another five hours. She deserves everything she gets plus more. Guys just have to show up and be ready to work. With shaved balls of course.

Body Count Rising: Of course.

Evan Stone: And not just for comfort, but for wind resistance too.

Body Count Rising: (laughing) You’re the professional! What future projects are you looking forward to?

Evan Stone: We’re doing “Pirates III”!


Body Count Rising: That will be another success!

Evan Stone: Well, it’s been canceled four times, but now I’m pretty sure we’re doing it. I’m the only one in the original cast coming back. I’m surprised they didn’t have some of the girls back. We shot some in Vegas, some in Florida and some in California. That’s how my father found out I was doing porn. He went to this pirate party and they were showing pirate porn, so my dad called me up and said that he’s watching me in this porno. Now they hold the pirate parties at his place.

Body Count Rising: Well, he’s proud of you!

Evan Stone: Yeah! He was yelling “That’s my son!” Of course now everyone who sees that film thinks that all the movies I do are at that same level.

Body Count Rising: Well you’re the same actor. It just may depend on budget.

Evan Stone: I like that. I’m going to use that. I’m the same actor! 


Body Count Rising: I have to ask… On your website bio you talk about KC. What ever happened to KC and your dance troupe?

Evan Stone: KC is how I got the job in porn. He was part of the dance troupe but then he got fat and the other guys wanted me to fire him. I couldn’t do that so I made him the emcee and it was a huge success. He hyped the crowd, we made a lot more money and it really worked well. Eventually he moved on to another bar and we kind of lost touch. Then five years later he called me up and said “Hey man, do you want to be in a porno?” I said “Yes.” I was only supposed to have a small part, but two of the guys didn’t show up, so my part got much larger. So right off the bat I was doing high end production movies when I first came to L.A. because of KC. Other than KC I’ve kind of lost track of everyone else.

I did go back to my class reunion and everyone came up and was really inappropriately sharing their personal sexual conquests. Like someone told me he had sex with his best friend’s wife and another guy said he had sex with his sister. And it’s like uggggghhhhh! Yeah. I went that one time and I never went back. I loved L.A. because it was a new healthy fresh start.

Keep up with Evan’s many, many projects on his Facebook, IMDb and his official website.
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Sunday, March 27, 2016

Death Walks at Midnight (1972) - Blu-ray Review - Arrow Video

'Death Walks Twice' in the Limited Edition Box Set from Arrow Video

Death Walks Twice Box Set Blu-ray cover Arrow Video


Released by: Arrow Video
Release Date: March 28, 2016 (UK) / March 29, 2016 (US) 
Production Year: 1972
Region Code: A / B
Running Time: 1:41:50
Audio: Italian DTS-HD MA, English DTS-HD MA
Video: 1080p (2.35:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English, English SDH

Death Walks at Midnight Blu-ray screen capture

 THE FILM - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:

Emerging at the peak of the giallo boom of the early ‘70s, Luciano Ercoli’s Death Walks films are two superlative examples of the genre linked by their shared casting of the stunning Nieves Navarro (billed under her adopted stage name of Susan Scott) as the lead woman in peril.

In "Death Walks at Midnight" (1972), Navarro stars as Valentina – a model who, in the midst of a drug-fueled photo shoot, witnesses a brutal murder in the apartment opposite hers. But when it becomes clear that the savage slaying she describes relates to a crime that took place six months earlier, the police are at a loss – forcing Valentina to solve the mystery alone.


As you would probably expect, this is another film designed to keep you on your toes and to a degree, guessing what is going on. As is often the case, things aren't always as straight forward as they seem. If they were, they wouldn't be nearly as entertaining now would they? The spiked metal glove is pretty memorable and I wish it had more on-screen use. Like, a whole lot more. It was nice to see something outside the norm used to commit murder as it is quite unique.

Nieves Navarro once again plays our heroine in the film and she is more than just a damsel in distress. She makes bold moves, isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and refuses to be simply, a victim. There are a few actors from "Death Walks on High Heels" that also appear in this film as well. Once again we are treated to performances by Simon Andreu, Carlo Gentili and Fabrizio Moresco to name a few.

Death Walks at Midnight Blu-ray screen capture Nieves Navarro

AUDIO - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:

The Blu-ray features both Italian and English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono tracks. There are also English and English SDH subtitles included. The audio sounds pretty good on the Blu-ray. There is a slight reverberation at times during the Italian track. I am by no means an audio expert so I have no idea how feasible it would be to correct something that was most likely present in the original recording. The sound effects, dialogue and Gianni Ferrio's score were well-balanced and also the sound levels remained consistent.  
 Death Walks at Midnight Blu-ray screen capture
VIDEO - [ 4 / 5 ]:

"Death Walks at Midnight" comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video and its U.S. distributor MVD Entertainment Group. The film is presented in 1080p with a 2.35 aspect ratio thanks to the new 2k restoration of the film from the original camera negatives by Arrow Video. I found this film to in general, look better than "Death Walks on High Heels" in terms of video quality. There is on occasion, some minor print damage visible. Colors look robust and contrast levels look good. Skin tones and black levels look good as well. The film has a thin layer of grain present and a pleasing amount of sharpness as evident in the hair and clothing of its characters as well as the textures of other objects. 
 
Death Walks at Midnight Blu-ray screen capture

SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 4.5 / 5 ]:

Play with Introduction (1:57) - You have the option of playing the film with a brief introduction by screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.

Death Walks at Midnight: TV Version (1:46:04) - Arrow Video states on the menu screen, "The TV version is notable for containing footage not present in the theatrical cut, and is presented in its entirety. Please note that this version contains intermittent videotape tracking errors which could not be removed." As you can expect this does not have nearly the same audio and video quality of the featured presentation of the film and it is in a difference aspect ratio as well. However, you get a few extras minutes of footage and it is nice that it was included in this release for completists and fans of the film. (Italian with English subtitles)

Crime Does Pay (31:03) - A brand new interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi which was filmed November 2015 in Rome. Mr. Gastaldi speaks about various films from his career including "Death Walks at Midnight" and meeting with Luciano Ercoli. He talks candidly about the way westerns were made in Italy vs the United States and what life was reportedly really like during those times and how they differed from the traditional western films. He also talks about working with Mario Bava on "The Whip and the Body." (with English subtitles)

Desperately Seeking Susan (27:54) - A new visual essay by Michael Mackenzie that explores the giallo collaborations between director Luciano Ercoli and star Nieves Navarro. Views are warned early on that the featurette contains spoilers for "The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion," "Death Walks on High Heels" and "Death Walks at Midnight." If you haven't seen one of the particular films, you shouldn't watch this extra as it is quite informative and will spoil your experience of watching the film(s) for the first time. A few others films are briefly talked about such as "Death Carries a Cane."

Audio Commentary with Tim Lucas -  Tim Lucas of Video Watchdog Magazine provides the commentary for this release and once again does a fine job. He primarily speaks about what is happening on the screen but also adds some personal opinions and additional information about the cast, crew and film along the way. If you are a fan of the film or wish to learn more about it, you will undoubtedly want to listen to this insightful track. 

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

Limited Edition 60-page booklet - As part of the "Death Walks Twice" Limited Edition box set, it includes a booklet containing new writing from authors Danny Shipka (Perverse Titillation: The Exploitation Cinema of Italy, Spain and France), Troy Howarth (So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films) and writer Leonard Jacobs, illustrated with original archive stills and posters.

Death Walks at Midnight Blu-ray screen capture

OVERALL RATING - [ 4 / 5 ]


You can also read our review of the other film from this set, "Death Walks on High Heels."


 

Death Walks at Midnight Blu-ray screen capture


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Asmodexia (2014) - DVD Review - Sharp Teeth Films

"All Hell Is About To Break Lose!"


Asmodexia DVD cover


Eloy de Palma is an exorcist pastor roaming the darkest corners of the country with his granddaughter Alba. Their mission is to help those possessed by The Evil One, an infection of the soul that is spreading fast. Each exorcism is tougher than the one before, and every battle reveals a piece of Alba’s forgotten past – an enigma that if unconcealed could change the world as we know it.

Asmodexia DVD screen capture

Ah, the Exorcism sub-genre of Horror, this day and age everyone and his second cousin has been possessed in a horror movie, there seems to be a new one every week. Before you know it, Tina who lives down the street with her Yorkshire Terrier and pet pussy will be exorcised in another straight to video exorcism movie.

This one however contains a totally new and interesting twist on the whole exorcism genre. This isn't your average 'pick up a shaky cam while some actress screams and contorts in ways that would make Brazzer's hire her', this is alot more intelligent and sharp than you may originally give it credit for.

Asmodexia DVD screen capture

Written and Directed by Marc Carreté this Spanish exorcism shocker is more than your average. There is the odd cliche here and there, the classics if you will, green puke fans will be pleased to know that it makes a cameo appearance, but overall it comes across fresh and original. The movie has a dark broody feel to a lot of it's shots and is expertly filmed and presented, there is some absolutely beautiful and stunning gothic camera work and sets at play here. Do not go into this movie expecting jump scares every 5 minutes and a massive body count as you will be disappointed, this movie is too intelligent and clever to have those kind of gimmicks. It's a dark and creepy exorcism movie with quite a few twists and turns here and there that keep you gripped.

Asmodexia DVD screen capture

All in all this is a good movie, a battle of good and evil with beautiful cinematography and expert direction, great acting performances and more twists and turns than a multipack of Twizzlers. I recommend this for all horror fans who like a bit of intelligence with their scares.

Asmodexia DVD screen capture

Sharp Teeth Films have brought Asmodexia to the UK DVD market in a bare-bones release, however the movie stands well on it's own as it is. The movie is in it's original Spanish with external English subtitles that are selectable from the main menu. The picture quality is very good, there is a slight touch of banding here and there but I am guessing this is down to the original source material that the DVD was authored from, it's not distracting or too noticeable tho. It's a nice clean and sharp print and the audio is clear and packs a punch when it needs to. Give it a try, it's definitely worth a look.

Video: 3/5
Audio: 4/5


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